Ukraine Claims Responsibility for Drone Strikes on 'Shadow Fleet' Tankers in Black Sea

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a significant escalation of the maritime economic war between Kyiv and Moscow, Ukrainian security services have claimed responsibility for a series of precision strikes against two oil tankers navigating the Black Sea off the coast of Türkiye. The attacks, executed using advanced naval drones late Friday and early Saturday, targeted vessels accused by Kyiv of operating as part of a "shadow fleet" covertly transporting sanctioned Russian oil, shattering the relative safety of commercial shipping lanes in the region.

A high-ranking source within Ukraine’s SBU security service confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Saturday that Kyiv orchestrated the operations. The source revealed that "modernised Sea Baby naval drones successfully targeted the vessels," marking a continued evolution in Ukraine's asymmetric naval warfare capabilities.

To substantiate the claim, the security service released video footage purporting to show the sea-skimming drones gliding ominously toward the hulls of the two ships before detonating, sparking explosions that rocked the vessels in international waters.

The vessels involved were identified as the Virat and the Kairos.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Transport, the tankers were struck in separate incidents that began late Friday. The situation intensified when one of the vessels was reportedly hit a second time early Saturday morning.

The incidents triggered an immediate and large-scale emergency response from Turkish maritime authorities, who were forced to launch rescue operations under perilous conditions to secure the safety of the seafarers onboard.

Details regarding the chaos on the water were first reported by Turkish officials. The Turkish General Directorate of Maritime Affairs reported on its website that the Kairos, which was sailing under a Gambian flag, caught fire approximately 28 nautical miles (52 kilometers) off the northern coast of Kocaeli province.

The tanker was reportedly en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk at the time of the incident, sailing without cargo. Turkish officials confirmed that all 25 crew members aboard the Kairos were safely evacuated as flames were seen rising from the vessel’s forward section.

Simultaneously, the second tanker, identified in earlier reports by the Turkish Maritime Affairs Directorate as the Firat (referred to as the Virat by Ukrainian security sources), suffered a similar emergency roughly 35 nautical miles offshore. Rescue teams and a cargo vessel were dispatched to the scene, successfully retrieving the 20-member crew who reported thick smoke billowing from the engine room. Despite the intensity of the explosions and subsequent fires, no casualties were reported among the crews of either vessel.

The motivation behind the strikes appears rooted in Kyiv’s determination to choke off Moscow’s energy revenues. The Ukrainian security source stated explicitly that the tankers were targeted because they were believed to be covertly transporting sanctioned Russian oil.

This aligns with previous intelligence suggesting both tankers are subject to Western sanctions for transporting Russian oil in violation of international restrictions. The attack signals a widening of the theater of conflict, as Ukraine moves to interdict the so-called "shadow fleet" that Russia utilizes to bypass global economic blockades.

Prior to Ukraine's admission of responsibility, Turkish authorities had suspected the involvement of weaponry rather than accidental causes. Turkish Minister of Transport Abdulkadir Uraloğlu told local broadcaster NTV that the fires resulted from "external factors," speculating that the tankers could have been struck by a mine, missile, drone, or an unmanned watercraft.

The minister confirmed that while the Kairos crew had been evacuated and the crew of the second vessel was out of danger, the incidents were being monitored closely for any signs of environmental pollution, none of which had been detected in the immediate aftermath.

The attacks add a volatile new layer to the security architecture of the Black Sea, which has been fraught with danger since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The region is already plagued by drifting sea mines, many of which have become dislodged during storms after being laid by combatants to secure coastlines.

In response to these growing risks, Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Romania—all NATO members and Black Sea littoral states—established a joint task group in 2024 dedicated to mine countermeasures. However, the direct targeting of commercial vessels by weaponized "Sea Baby" drones represents a distinct challenge from passive hazards like drifting mines.

As emergency teams continue their work to secure the damaged tankers and prevent an environmental catastrophe off the Turkish coast, the admission by Ukraine underscores a strategic shift.

By striking commercial assets allegedly linked to the Russian war machine in international waters, Kyiv is demonstrating both the reach of its naval drone program and its willingness to enforce sanctions through kinetic means, regardless of the diplomatic complexities involved in operating near the waters of a NATO member state.